Is there a word for someone who really has their act together?
Someone who has their time well-managed, is focused, works out, has ambitions,
eats right. Not necessarily success, but there's a kind of trait that leads to it, that I can't quite put my finger on.

There's strong overlap with people who are competitive or are overachievers,
but it's not exactly the same thing. "In the zone" is close, but I'm looking for a more long term or permanent kind of thing — the opposite of a slob or slacker.

We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context. Don't just give a one-line answer; explain why your answer is right, ideally with citations. Answers that don't include explanations may be removed.

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦Jul 12 '17 at 20:48

Please note, that despite this questions recent undeletion and reopening, it still does not explain how the requested word will be used. In particular: do you want a noun or an adjective? Only a single word, or is a phrase acceptable? Why isn't "success" appropriate? Why not "has it together"? For this question to remain open, we really need the original asker to give more detail on how they would like to use the request word.
– curiousdanniiJul 13 '17 at 14:03

@curiousdannii please note that the question was posted in 2013, the description tag on SWR did not contain the specific piece of advice: YOU MUST INCLUDE A SAMPLE SENTENCE DEMONSTRATING HOW THE WORD WOULD BE USED until 25 September, 2015. However, the OP has provided context, and clearly seeks the antonym of "slob" and "slacker", so presumably it's a noun, but his request is flexible enough to accept also an adjective as can be seen in the two tags which accompany the SWR
– Mari-Lou AJul 20 '17 at 5:50

18 Answers
18

There is a concept in psychology called self-actualization. It was described by Abraham Maslow as

"the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for him [the individual] to become actualized in what he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming."

Meaning "ferocious", and applicable to hot guys or people with fashion sense; people who are zesty, feisty, and assertive in life; anything that is really stylish and vogue. Also applicable to anything that is just too cool to be true; things with zing, pop, wow factor and feistiness. Antonyms: douche bag 9000, douche bag squared, lame, limp, otherwise unsatisfactory, ugly. Negative version: not ferosh.

Hehe, hope this doesn't offend anyone's fragile sensibilities... but in certain circles (and increasingly, in mainstream media), these monikers would be far more effective in expressing the OP's "essence" than most of the other suggestions. ;-)

"Ace" generally denotes one who is an expert at that which they do. As in "An ace driver" or "An ace pilot". Though it usually has to do with a particular profession, it still denotes an all-together excellence and aptitude.

"Professional" also works, though this specifically refers to one's job, it denotes being not just well-versed in one's field, but also a sense of respetfulness in how they conduct themselves. Likewise, "Pro" is a somewhat slang term, that technically refers to someone who is very good at what it is they do.

I knew a girl at uni who was heading for a first in Architecture, whilst doing a 20 hour a week office job via teleworking from home, was also a lieutenant in the TA which ate most weekends, did competitive fell-running-with-a-map, and had time to socialise. What I could do in an hour, she did in 10 mins.

If you're a geek, and your main strength is your intellect, then you meet someone who is not only smarter but also excels in all the areas you suck... that's what I'd call an elite. Well, I'd call someone who had a balanced mix of physical, mental and social elements an "all rounder", but if they have copious amounts of each then I'd say elite.

The fastest I can do this is in 90 mins, it can't be done in an hour! ~"I can do it in 20 mins 0_0 Don't write things down it takes too long, just memorize them. And do the working out in your head. Quickly"

It may not be conventional enough but, having fun, I'd describe that person as streamlined (streamlined for success). The word implies that one cannot be a slob or slacker since we associate it with aerodynamics, engineering, intention, and intelligence. It also has that sense of elegance and attractiveness, and conjures images of the kind of car that makes others jealous (ref to JBJ's laugh-inducing comment).

My last answer was so controversial I'm going to throw in something slightly less objectionable:

tight: 7a : characterized by firmness or strictness in control or
application or in attention to details b : marked by
control or discipline in expression or style : having little or no
extraneous matter c : characterized by a polished
style and precise arrangements in music performance

Applying these three concepts to a person, it indicates: high control, discipline, efficiency, and work ethic.

from m-w.com

In all seriousness, this is only slightly less controversial than my 1st answer- this definition of "tight" appears in M-W (American) but doesn't show up the same in Oxford (British). I suspect this is because

tight British informal not willing to spend or give much money; mean: he is tight with his money

While not all Americans meet these ideals, these principles would be applicable to any "all-American" [athlete]. One should have to have a solid work ethic to be at the top of one's sport amongst tens of thousands of other competitors. You don't even need to be American to be All-American (e.g. cross country requirements for eligibility: Top 40 runners without regard to citizenship).

It does not mean, as has been suggested, that only Americans have these ideals or that all (and exclusively) Americans fit this standard, but rather that "All-Americans" are better-than-average Americans.

It seems to me that many new answers are concentrating solely on the single more dynamic aspect of the OP question, rather than thinking of the whole. So, in order to focus back to the original query we need to know exactly what is being asked here.

the opposite of a slob or slacker

There's strong overlap with people who are competitive or are
overachievers

Someone who has their time (1) well-managed, (2) is focused, (3) works out, (4) has
ambitions, and (5) eats right.

A get-up-and-go1. personsomeone with energy and drive
and 2.Initiation of action motivated by energy and ambition

This question is based on a naive assumption that most people find the notion of "having one's act together" useful enough to want to communicate it often, with single word. However, most people don't think in such broad terms these days, that's why there is no word for it and there can't be.

Back in the days when people were more simple-minded and tended to generalize more, they used to call such people "good".

Thank you for your interest in this question.
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